The claimed invention relates to a paint sprayer. In particular, the invention concerns a hand-held airless paint sprayer having an ergonomically designed handle and a mechanical actuator.
Currently known hand-held paint sprayers exert extensive stress on muscles of the arm, particularly on the weaker muscles of the arm, such as those in the wrist. An airless paint sprayer typically utilizes several parts, including an electrical housing and motor, a pump housing and pump, a paint tank (also commonly referred to as a paint cup), a handle, a tip, an internal fluid passage through which paint or cleaning solutions may flow, and controls for triggering and controlling the flow of paint through the fluid passage. A typical prior art hand-held airless paint sprayer is shown in FIG. 1.
According to one embodiment of the invention, an airless paint sprayer for spraying a fluid comprises a main housing, a handle, a paint cup and a mechanical actuator. The main housing comprises an electrical housing having a motor and a switch, and a pump housing comprising a pump and a fluid passage. The pump is configured to pump a fluid through the fluid passage and the motor is configured to operate the pump. The handle is coupled to the main housing and the paint cup is coupled to the handle for the storage of a fluid, with the paint cup being in communication with the fluid passage. The mechanical actuator is coupled to the pump housing for operating the motor. The actuator has a first portion positioned in the vicinity of the exterior of the pump housing and a second portion that extends into the pump housing. The second portion is configured to engage the switch in the electrical housing to operate the motor.
In another embodiment, a mechanical actuator for an airless paint sprayer having a pump housing, an electrical housing, and a handle comprises an actuator first portion and an actuator second portion. The pump housing of the paint sprayer is coupled to the electrical housing and the electrical housing comprises a motor and a switch. The actuator first portion is positioned outside the pump and electrical housings. The actuator second portion has a first end and a second end, with the first end coupled to the actuator first portion and the second end extending into the pump housing for communication with the switch of the electrical housing. The actuator first portion is movable from a first position to a second position and movement of the actuator first portion moves the actuator second portion from a first position to a second position in the pump housing. The actuator second portion engages the electrical switch of the electrical housing when in the second position to activate the motor.
According to yet another embodiment, a handle for an airless paint sprayer comprises an elongated member having a top end and a bottom end. The elongated member has a generally rectangular cross-section at the top end and a generally circular cross-section at the bottom end. A first transition zone is positioned between the top and bottom ends where the cross-section transitions from the generally rectangular cross-section to the generally circular cross-section.